Dark Portal IV: Traitor
Traitor is the fourth chapter of the overarching storyline of Dark Portal, which takes place in the Jinok Alternate Universe. It was originally written in 2009 and has since been translated to English. Wrong Destination Gesikk already presumed: they weren't right again. As always. But that was not his only concern: The ashes and Tanma began to change. Tanma started to glow green, he flew into the air, and a wave of shadows came over everyone. When they regained consciousness, Tanma looked like a Makuta. But the ashes changed as well: A dragon of at least 3 meters, covered by a shadow. Viro quickly shouted to Gesikk: "We can not show ourselves! That only leads to trouble!" "And HOW did you imagine that? With a 3 meter dragon and a 'Makuta of Light'?" Gesikk asked distrustfully. "Listen," Tanma said, "I'm not a Makuta. I may look like that, but I'm still a Toa." "All right." murmured Gesikk. Suddenly the dragon took off, but just before he could harm anyone, he paused. His hand retreated. The voice of Dephiza and Devon sounded at the same time: "We are one now! The part of Onurem wants to kill you, not us! But we are stronger together than he is!" "Hey, to get order into that chaos of a sentence," Tanma said, "follow my plan. Makuta know all shadows, right? Why do we not ask one?" "Greeeeeat idea. We're just traipsing to Destral, if it even exists here, knock on the door and ask if Teridax or someone wants to get out to play." joked Matoro. "Well, I look like one." said Tanma insulted. "Well, I think they know their people as well as you know your toy blocks, Tanma." Bima interjected. "I do not play with toy blocks!" Tanma exclaimed angrily, and Jadek quickly intervened. "Ok, you little Matoran, you can fight later. First of all, we have to figure out how to get out of here." Vitraz finally said: "Why don't we at leas look for an ally? That can't hurt us!" "And HOW? And what if we find someone wrong?" Gesikk asked. "For example me?" someone asked. The shadowy group turned around. The being continued: "I have listened to your plans. They serve nothing. And allies, I can provide you enough together with Makuta Talai." the being said, "How many Rahkshi do you need? 100? 200? Or a Toa? Maybe Toa Tuvrak? Or Toa Xafri? Or maybe the strong Toa Milko?" "A Toa would be good. But we aren't Dark Hunters or Makuta. We are Toa. And you should tell us your name." said Gesikk. "Oh, I forgot. How unkind. I am Makuta Viro. And who do I have the pleasure with?" he asked mockingly as Viro looked at him crookedly. Gesikk replied: "I'm Gesikk, this is Viro, Garrzo, Vastara, Skorpi, Tanma, Matoro, Vitraz, Jadek, Bima, Nagaari and a three-Toa-dragon," Gesikk replied. eBio "Hmm. I as a Toa. Nice to meet me. But I see that your weapons are badly damaged. Come with me, I know a good store." said Makuta Viro. They walked along an old trail, and the huge Shadow Dragon trampled it even more. The dragon bid his farewell, for he would be too conspicuous. They came into a gloomy forest, and still heard the hum of some Nui-Rama. It was already midnight. After a long walk, they came to a river. "Now?" Garrzo asked. Makuta Viro picked up a stick that laid on the ground and touched a spot on the ground with it. Suddenly it thundered. The damp moss on the floor tore open, and an archway came out of the ground. "Oh great. An archway. Should we shout "Fantasio" aloud and then we are in another world?" Skorpi asked suspiciously. "Shut up, you stupid Toa. We go through. This is a normal dimension portal, and behind it is a large store." The group went through, they lost the ground under their feet and were temporarily blinded. Each of them struck hard on the ground after that except Makuta Viro. Skorpi looked around. A large area, and they had apparently landed in front of some kind of café. Farther back he saw houses. Makuta Viro led them to a huge building. They entered the shop. It was massive. The cabinets were filled. "Choose your weapons, and then come to the cashier." Makuta Viro said, bored. The group went to a series of cabinets filled with weapons. Viro took an electric sword, Garrzo took two short swords and one Kanohi Hau, Vastara took an improved version of her sword, Skorpi landed a long energy earthdrill, Tanma a magnetic rod, Matoro grabbed a double sword, Vitraz picked out a tridental lance, Jadek and Bima both took an ordinary sword and Nagaari a three-spiked shield and a new armor. They went to the cash register. "OK. What do you offer me in return?" asked the seller. "Our old stuff." Viro answered curtly. The salesman took a close look at the things. "Almost everything is broken." he said, "Except for this Midak Skyblaster and this shield. We could melt the old stuff, but I still think it would not be enough. What else do you have?" "This." said Makuta Viro, who had suddenly appeared. He put a blue Miru Nuva on the table. "Oh. this is good. This one is very rare. Take your new things and have a nice day." said the seller. The group went out again. "Huge shop. Man oh man." said Vitraz. Makuta Viro said: "Let's go to my training room. You all could use some training." The training Room Makuta Viro led them into a dark room. He switched on the light. They were in a sort of hall, and various unknown devices had been set up. "Should we do gymnastics or what?" asked Vitraz. "Wait, you impatient Matoran." Makuta Viro answered curtly. He pressed a button on his remote and the devices rebuilt. In the meantime strange figures stood in front of them, looking like Makuta, all with red-hot eyes. "Your job is to smash them. When you're done, let me know." Makuta Viro said. The Toa charged. Vitraz raised his tridental lance to destroy the figure, but just before everyone had reached their destination, a trapdoor opened beneath them. They were all surprised and nobody could save themselves. Everyone fell into the endless depth. Below, they hit hard on the ground, and they were unconscious. When the first Toa opened his eyes, he had to realize that they were all tied to a stretcher that stood upright, and below them was a seething black liquid that smelled strongly of death and decay. "Ah, you're awake." said a harsh voice that came from somewhere out of the shadows, for the spot where they hung was dimly lit. They also appeared to be in a cave. "You are really that dumb to get involved with Makuta Viro. Well. You are perfect for my experiment. Let's see if I can turn you into Rahi here. Farewell." said the voice. "You can't ...!" Skorpi shouted, but the being interrupted him, "I can. Don't you see?" He pressed a button and the stretchers began to stand horizontally. The closer the seething mass came, the more it stank. Just before they were immersed, the Toa panicked. They were immersed. The Makuta, however, had btoched it a bit because the liquid did not have the intended effect. The Toa were deprived of their elemental powers, and their armor turned silver-black. A sting penetrated all. Then, it was over. Dripping wet, they came up from the liquid. The Makuta resented his failed experiment. The Toa were placed on tables. Escape Vastara awoke first. She laid on a table and her Toa comrades laid on others, but they were still asleep. She sat up. Her armor had turned completely black and silver. She was in a large room that had probably once been a storage room, and now white tiles decorated the walls and the floor. The room was illuminated by two long lightstones hanging from the ceiling. Vastara got up and went to the table where Gesikk laid. His green armor had turned gray. She went on past Skorpi, who showed hardly any modification, since he was a Toa of Earth, and finally to Viro. He had lost his color as well as she did, and now he did not look like a Toa of Ice but more like a Toa of Magnetism. Suddenly a key in the door turned and a brown creature came in. Vastara wanted to repel him with a quickly grown tree, but for some reason her elemental powers did not work anymore. Instead, she was thrown back by an artificially created stone by the being. The rock-thrower now walked towards her. "Don't even try. I'm Toa Milko, the Toa of Stone of the Toa Taissk, and you would never have won against me anyway." he said. He helped Vastara to her feet again. Together they walked out of the room, into a dimly lit corridor lit only by a few red lightstones. "And what about the others?" asked Vastara. "They are already dead. You have all been poisoned, and since you are the only one awake, you are the chosen one we have been waiting for for so long. As the prophecy predicted." Milko replied. They came to an old door. Milko tapped in a code on a device next to the door and it opened. The room was full of other Toa. "Ah! Milko! Nice to see you! Have you already figured out who this traitor is?" asked a red Toa. "No, Raskon. But I have this chosen Toa." Milko said. Raskon looked at Vastara. Then he looked back at Milko and asked: "This ones? Are you sure?" "She was the only one who survived the poisoning. It must be her." replied the Toa of Stone. "Well. Then we'll take her to Tuvrak, he'll take a closer look at he." Raskon said. Unexpected Help Raskon, Milko and Vastara went through the room with the many Toa. But just before they reached the door, a loud bang was audible. Huge stones fell from the ceiling to the floor, and bright daylight streamed in. Some Toa were killed, screaming in pain. Raskon shot fire through the hole. But apparently nothing happened, because no impact of the fire or screams were to be heard. Then he came down like a gigantic shadow: the Shadow Dragon. But Vastara noticed that his left arm was missing. He grabbed a running Toa, threw him up and then tore him apart with his claw. Now he reached for Milko and Vastara. The two struggled in the firm grip of the dragon, but without success. But he did not tear them apart, he just looked at and then threw them on his back. Raskon had said goodbye in the meantime. The dragon now flew up, and now spurted a wave of shadows into the building. This broke the old pillars to pieces. The building crashed with several loud bangs mixed with death screams, and dust rose. Nobody survived the attack, except Raskon. Milko clung to the back of the Shadow Dragon, terrified and frightened, while Vastara sat quietly. She knew who the Shadow Dragon was. But Milko thought that it would want to eat him right away, so he was afraid. With a deep voice, it rumbled from the dragon's belly: "Want to save our friends?" Vastara replied: "It's probably too late for that now. These Toa here have poisoned them all. They are dead." "Oh, I don't think so. This Toa of Stone knows they are still alive. I can read his mind." the dragon's voice echoed. They now flew in half a dive, then pulled up just before hitting the ground and sailed through the air. They discovered the laboratory building. The Shadow Dragon took a steep course, throwing Milko and Vastara into the nearby lake, and tore off the roof of the building. Vastara pulled Milko ashore, and together they ran into the building. No Portal! The floor was littered with debris. The Toa laid on the ground, some injured, some unconscious, and some were already standing. Vastara helped Gesikk to his feet. And only now did she realize that Milko had run away. Together with Gesikk, she coughingly carried her friends out of the building, causing dust to whirl up everywhere. They had just dragged everyone out when the building collapsed with a loud crashing noise. They now laid the Toa next the nearby lake. Together, Gesikk and Vastara drew water from the lake and used it to pour over the others so that they would be freed from the dust and woken up. After half an hour, the last one was up. Milko ran across the muddy ground. He had to get to Tuvrak as fast as possible. There he found the other Toa, he was told that Raskon had been killed by Garrzo and Xafri had helped him, they had made a failed attempt on Garrzo, which turned him into a half-Rahi. Milko then came to Xafri to free her and meet her in the evening. Now he went back down the hall to his room. He went to his balcony. Farther back he saw the collapsed building, and how two Toa tried to wake their comrades. Milko knew right away that they would only last a moment being awake. The poison would kill them anyway. Suddenly it hit him like a brick: they did not come from here. They would change his world if they stayed longer. He somehow had to put them back in her world where they were missing now. Milko ran to his room, tore open a drawer, picked up the antidote and sprang boldly from his balcony. Just before hitting the ground, he chopped his back two arms into the rock. He was able to slow the crash, but lost his two claws in this action and cried out briefly. However, he ran to the group as fast as he could. The Toa stood by the lake. Suddenly a bright light appeared from far away, a male and a female Makuta stood there. The male wore a spiked Olmak. He looked at the group. But a noise filled the air. The Makuta said: "You do not belong here. I will take you back to where you came from." The noise grew louder and a green Toa flew into the air towards them. He grabbed the male Makuta and threw him against the female, and the two rolled into the lake. Vastara now spotted Milko at the far end of the lake, scratched and bleeding a little. He shouted: "Tuvrak! Leave them alone!" The green Toa roared back: "Never! They only cause destruction! I will kill them!" A fight ignited between the two. Stones flew, Milko was thrown into the water. In the meantime, the two Makuta had come out of the water again. The Makuta's Olmak glowed, and a glowing portal was created behind the Toa. Without asking, they jumped through. Milko was thrown into the air by Tuvrak. Tuvrak saw the portal emerge and he threw Milko right in it. The portal closed again, the Toa were gone. He looked up at the two Makuta, leaped into the air and unfolded his wings. Tuvrak grabbed the female Makuta and flew away with her. Epilog The Toa swooshed through space and time. This time it was not a shadow that permeated and changed them, but light. They all took on completely new shapes. Then a voice sounded: "Hello, my dear Toa. it's me, Makuta Talai. Of course, I did not send you back to where you came, but to a place of death. Farewell!" The portal opened and they fell out with a loud bang and landed in the desert sand of Bara Magna. Characters The Travelers *Gesikk *Toa Viro *Toa Garrzo *Toa Vastara *Toa Bima *Toa Tanma *Toa Vitraz *Toa Jadek *Toa Matoro *Nagaari *Shadow Dragon (Toa Dephiza, Toa Devon and Toa Onurem) Toa Taissk *Toa Milko *Toa Raskon *Toa Tuvrak *Toa Garrzo (Mentioned only) *Toa Xafri (Mentioned only) Makuta *Makuta Viro *Makuta Talai *An unnamed female Makuta at Talai's side Others *A cashier of an unknown species